Orbital welding system and methods of operations

Abstract

An orbital welding system and methods of operation controllably and safely weld a first metal tubing to a second metal tubing. A weld head includes interlocking clamping jaws for clamping the tubing. An alignment mechanism aligns the second tubing with the first tubing. The interlocking clamping jaws clamp the second tubing following the aligning of the second tubing with the first tubing. An alignment measurement mechanism measures relative alignment between the first tubing and the second tubing. A weld environment mechanism establishes a gaseous environment for orbitally welding the first tubing to the second tubing. The weld environment mechanism includes a weld environment sealing mechanism for sealing the gaseous environment and an electrode for gas arc welding. The weld environment mechanism orbits the first tubing and second tubing during the orbitally welding. Interface circuitry interfaces a power supply with the weld head and controls parameters associated with said weld head.

1 . An orbital welding system for controllably and safely welding a first weldable tubular material to a second weldable tubular material, comprising:
 a weld head for orbitally welding the first weldable tubular material to the second weldable tubular material, said weld head further comprising:   interlocking clamping jaws for sequentially clamping first the first weldable tubular material and then the second weldable tubular material;   alignment mechanism for aligning the second weldable tubular material with the first weldable tubular material following said interlocking clamping jaws first clamping said first weldable tubular material;   said interlocking clamping jaws comprising means for clamping the second weldable tubular material following the aligning of the second weldable tubular material with the first weldable tubular material;   alignment measurement mechanism for measuring relative alignment between the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material;   a weld environment mechanism for establishing a gaseous environment for orbitally welding the first weldable tubular material to the second weldable tubular material, said weld environment mechanism comprising a weld environment sealing mechanism for sealing said gaseous environment and an electrode for gas arc welding, said weld environment mechanism associated to orbit the first weldable tubular material and second weldable tubular material in orbitally welding the first weldable tubular material with the second weldable tubular material; and   weld head interface circuitry for interfacing a welding power supply with said weld head and programmably controlling operational and safety parameters associated with said weld head.   
   
   
       2 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising weld head interface circuitry associated within a weld head interface box, said weld head interface box comprising a programmable logic controller and associated electrical and processing connections for interfacing said weld head with a plurality of industry standard welding power supplies. 
   
   
       3 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a center pin alignment mechanism associated with said interlocking clamping jaws and said weld environment mechanism for receiving sequentially the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material;   alignment encoder mechanism for encoding a physical relative alignment measurement into a digital signal; and   an operator display for displaying said digital signal as a numerical measurement of relative between the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material.   
   
   
       4 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising within said interlocking clamping jaws an alignment mechanism for positioning said electrode with the weld area during the alignment of the first weldable tubular material with the second weldable tubular material. 
   
   
       5 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising prevents weldable material pieces from separating during the welding process due to twisting or other stresses arising during welding. 
   
   
       6 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising a three-stage piston assembly for sequentially operating first a first portion of said interlocking clamping jaws and second a second portion of said interlocking clamping jaws, said three-stage piston assembly for avoiding twisting of the weld area as said weld environment mechanism orbits said electrode rotates around the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material during orbital welding. 
   
   
       7 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising weld head interface circuitry and associated instructions for controllably operating said weld head in at least one of a basic mode, a calibration mode, or a center pin mode. 
   
   
       8 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising foot pedal control circuitry and mechanism for controlling said weld head using foot control. 
   
   
       9 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising a quickly interchangeable spring collet configuration associated with said weld environment mechanism for quickly and easily exchanging different diameter collets and, thereby, orbitally welding weldable tubular materials having a variety of different diameters. 
   
   
       10 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising within said weld environment mechanism an interlocking race and ceramic insulator for increasing cooling between sequential orbital welding operations. 
   
   
       11 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising within said weld environment a tight weld gas environment for preventing reactions with oxygen and reactive gas during and after welding. 
   
   
       12 . The orbital welding system of  claim 1 , further comprising a weld head cable for connecting between said weld head and said weld head interface circuitry and at least one quick disconnect mechanism for permitting a quick interchange between said weld head interface circuitry and a variety of differently configured weld heads. 
   
   
       13 . A method for orbital welding a first weldable tubular material to a second weldable tubular material, comprising the steps of:
 orbitally welding the first weldable tubular material to the second weldable tubular material using a weld head, said orbitally welding further comprising the steps of:
 sequentially clamping first the first weldable tubular material and then the second weldable tubular material using interlocking clamping jaws associated with said weld head; 
 aligning the second weldable tubular material with the first weldable tubular material following said interlocking clamping jaws first clamping said first weldable tubular material using an alignment mechanism associated with said weld head; 
 clamping the second weldable tubular material following the aligning of the second weldable tubular material with the first weldable tubular material using said interlocking clamping jaws; 
 measuring relative alignment between the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material using alignment measurement mechanism associated with said weld head; 
 establishing a gaseous environment for orbitally welding the first weldable tubular material to the second weldable tubular material using a weld environment mechanism associated with said weld head and further performing the steps of:
 sealing said gaseous environment using a weld environment sealing mechanism associated with said weld environment mechanism, 
 orbiting the first weldable tubular material and second weldable tubular material using said weld environment mechanism, and 
 welding the first weldable tubular material with the second weldable tubular material using a gas arc welding electrode; and 
 
   interfacing a welding power supply with said weld head and programmably controlling operational and safety parameters associated with said weld head using weld head interface circuitry.   
   
   
       14 . The orbital welding method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of associating with said weld head a weld head interface box comprising a programmable logic controller and associated electrical and processing connections for interfacing said weld head with a plurality of industry standard welding power supplies. 
   
   
       15 . The orbital welding method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 associating a center pin alignment mechanism with said interlocking clamping jaws and said weld environment mechanism;   receiving sequentially the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material;   encoding a physical relative alignment measurement into a digital signal alignment encoder mechanism; and   displaying said digital signal as a numerical measurement of relative between the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material an operator display.   
   
   
       16 . The orbital welding method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of controllably operating said weld head in at least one of a basic mode or a calibration mode, or a center pin mode using weld head interface circuitry and associated instructions. 
   
   
       17 . The orbital welding method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of sequentially operating a three-stage piston assembly for first clamping a first portion of said interlocking clamping jaws and second clamping a second portion of said interlocking clamping jaws, thereby avoiding twisting of the weld area as said weld environment mechanism orbits said electrode rotates around the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material during orbital welding. 
   
   
       18 . The orbital welding method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of controlling said weld head with foot control foot pedal control circuitry and a foot pedal mechanism. 
   
   
       19 . A weld head for orbitally welding the first weldable tubular material to the second weldable tubular material, comprising:
 interlocking clamping jaws for sequentially clamping first the first weldable tubular material and then the second weldable tubular material;   alignment mechanism for aligning the second weldable tubular material with the first weldable tubular material following said interlocking clamping jaws first clamping said first weldable tubular material;   said interlocking clamping jaws comprising means for clamping the second weldable tubular material following the aligning of the second weldable tubular material with the first weldable tubular material;   alignment measurement mechanism for measuring relative alignment between the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material;   a weld environment mechanism for establishing a gaseous environment for orbitally welding the first weldable tubular material to the second weldable tubular material, said weld environment mechanism comprising a weld environment sealing mechanism for sealing said gaseous environment and an electrode for gas arc welding, said weld environment mechanism associated to orbit the first weldable tubular material and second weldable tubular material in orbitally welding the first weldable tubular material with the second weldable tubular material; and   weld head circuitry for interfacing weld head interface circuitry, said weld head interface circuitry for interfacing a welding power supply with said weld head and programmably controlling operational and safety parameters associated with said weld head.   
   
   
       20 . The weld head of  claim 19 , further comprising weld head interface circuitry associated within a weld head interface box, said weld head interface box comprising a programmable logic controller and associated electrical and processing connections for interfacing said weld head with a plurality of industry standard welding power supplies. 
   
   
       21 . The weld head of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a center pin alignment mechanism associated with said interlocking clamping jaws and said weld environment mechanism for receiving sequentially the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material;   alignment encoder mechanism for encoding a physical relative alignment measurement into a digital signal; and   an operator display for displaying said digital signal as a numerical measurement of relative between the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material.   
   
   
       22 . The weld head of  claim 19 , further comprising weld head circuitry and associated instructions for controllably operating said weld head in at least one of a basic mode or a calibration mode, or a center pin mode. 
   
   
       23 . The weld head of  claim 19 , further comprising a three-stage piston assembly for sequentially operating first a first portion of said interlocking clamping jaws and second a second portion of said interlocking clamping jaws, thereby avoiding twisting of the weld area as said weld environment mechanism orbits said electrode rotates around the first weldable tubular material and the second weldable tubular material during orbital welding. 
   
   
       24 . The weld head of  claim 19 , further comprising within said interlocking clamping jaws an alignment mechanism for positioning said electrode with the weld area during the alignment of the first weldable tubular material with the second weldable tubular material. 
   
   
       25 . The weld head of  claim 19 , further comprising weld head interface circuitry and associated instructions for controllably operating said weld head in at least one of a basic mode or a calibration mode, or a center pin mode. 
   
   
       26 . The weld head of  claim 19 , further comprising foot pedal control circuitry and mechanism for controlling said weld head using foot control. 
   
   
       27 . The weld head of  claim 19 , further comprising a quickly interchangeable spring collet configuration associated with said weld environment mechanism for quickly and easily exchanging different diameter collets and, thereby, orbitally welding weldable tubular materials having a variety of different diameters.